What does it sound like?:
Arriving just in time for Christmas, this double live set, which also comes with a dvd/bluray, is the inevitable souvenir of the reactivated ELO’s shows this last summer.
Of course, ELO these days is simply Jeff Lynne plus assorted anonymous sidemen (only Richard Tandy remains from the old days), not that the enormous crowd at Wembley cares one jot. They are there for a good old nostalgia fest, remembering the band’s, and no doubt their own, hey-day in the seventies
Lynne knows exactly that, and delivers a storming greatest hits set, which barely flags from start to finish. All the old favourites are there, along with the Wilbury’s Handle With Care, a rare outing for Xanadu and one of his rare autobiographical songs, When I Was A Boy, the best track from the last album, Alone In The Universe. Great that he also includes their debut single, 10538 Overture, too – a Bargepole hot pick!
This slick set is a very entertaining way to pass a couple of hours – it’s nothing too demanding of course, just great pop music written and performed by a master of the genre.
What does it all *mean*?
I recall in the seventies that A New World Record and Out Of The Blue were two of my listening staples, and the songs sound as good now as they did then. It’s very pleasing he closes the first half of the show with Can’t Get It Out Of My Head from the often-overlooked Eldorado album. I think that’s actually my favourite album of theirs, and is one that prog fans should definitely check out – seriously!
Goes well with…
Remembering the great time I and many others had seeing the band on their dates earlier this year.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
Pop music, entertainment.
Mavis Diles says
In fact Richard Tandy was sick and is not on this DVD, his dep sat in.
Baron Harkonnen says
Pop Candy, Great!
Bargepole says
Of course, Jeff Lynne looks exactly as he did forty years since – is there a painting in his attic I wonder? 😉
davebigpicture says
Certainly a bottle of Grecian 2000
Mike_H says
On his favourites list for Tesco Delivery.
SteveT says
He was brought up in the same part of Birmingham as me. Much loved here. The number of classic songs he has written is frightening. Not bad for a boy from Shard End.
Baron Harkonnen says
“brought up in the same part of Birmingham as me”, `kin hell, what went wrong?
Vulpes Vulpes says
Oooooh, I love a bit of 10538. Were there real cellos involved?
Have you got the BBC In Concert performance with whispering Bob doing the intros? That’s great – ELO were supported by the Winkies, a rocking bunch who vanished after the one album.
I may have to invest.